Cloth finishing



June 18, 1935 s. L. cLUETT CLOTH FINISHING Filed June 22, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 S. L. CLUETT CLOTH FINISHING June 18, 1935.

Filed June 22, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5am reZZ,

June 18, 1935. 5 E T 2,005,517

CLOTH FINISHING Filed June 22, 195 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 1a, 1935 j 2,05,517

- UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTH FINISHING Sanford L. Cluett, Troy, N. Y., assignor to Cluett, Peabody & 00., Inc., Troy, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 22, 1931, Serial No. 546,088 11 (CI. 26-42) This invention relates to cloth finishing and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of-other aims to provide improved methods and mechancloth finishing apparatus embodying the invenism adapted for the finishing of a web of cloth tion; and on both of its surfaces. The improvements ef- Fig. 6 is a plan of the cloth reversing device fected by this invention are particularly applicontained in the apparatus of Fig. 5.

, 5 cable to processes and apparatus ,for fixing a Referring to Fig. 1, a cloth web w is shown as traveling web in a state of mechanically proentering the apparatus from a tentering maduced preshrinkage; in this aspect my invention chine l l at the right of the figure, from whence is an improvement on the processes and appait passes around and between driven input rolls ratus disclosed in my copending applications Sel2 and it, through a moistening chamber it, 10 rial No. 445,300, filed April 18, 1930, (now Patent over spray jets M and over cloth spreading rolls No. 1,861,422) and Serial No. 516,973, filed Febor bars l5. In the preferred forms of the inruary 19, 1931 (now Patent No. 1,861,424) vention, cloth thus brought to a desired condi- These copending applications, which are dition of width and moisture content, is operated rected toward the mechanical preshrinkage of on to condense it in a warpwise direction and to cloth, disclose the imparting of a smooth ironed set the web in the preshrunken dimension thus finish to one side of a traveling cloth web in such obtained.

a way as mechanically to shorten, instead of A preferred form of mechanism for preshrinklengthen, the warpwise dimension of the web. ing in this manner includes a flexible endless The present invention provides for the applica- Web-holding belt or band ll running on parallel tion of substantially equal degrees of finish to rotating heated drums l8 and W, the belt ll beboth sides of the cloth without detriment to ing guided between the drums by guide rolls 2t preshrinkage, and provides for more effectively to 28 inclusive, so disposed as to cause the endfixing in the preshrunken but moist web a conless belt to embrace the major portion of the densed or compressed condition of the yarns insurface of each of the heated drums. The warP- duced by such preshrinkage. Aside from its wise condensation of the cloth web takes place utility in connection with mechanical preshrinkby virtue of the contraction in superficial length age of cloth, the present, invention provides for of the portion of the belt ll passing from the increasing the usefulness of ironing machines of roll 28 to the heated drum IS. the endless belt type by enabling them to give Following this contraction in surface of the 30 the same degree of finish to both sides of the cloth, the cloth is fixed in its contracted state cloth web, provides for enabling the belt of such by being pressed against the heated drum It. machines to hold a cloth web in two successive The pressure set up by the tension of the belt positions thereon so as to be ironed on both ill may in some cases be suflicient for this pursides on a single belt, and provides in cloth pose, but it is preferred to employ also a presfinishing generally an improved mechanism sure roll I8a yieldingly held against the outer adapted to reverse a traveling web of cloth. surface of the belt ll as by a spring. The pro- Other objects of invention, advantages and vision of such a pressure roll obviates the necesfeatures of novelty and utility will be apparent sity for any great tension in the belt ill. from this specification and its drawings wherein The cloth web coming from the spreading rolls my invention is explained by way of example. or bars I 5 is caused to adhere closely to the belt In the drawings: ill by the provision of a row of heated ironing Fig. l is a side elevation, mainly diagramblocks 3!! bearing on the cloth as the cloth and matic, illustrating cloth finishing apparatus embelt ll pass over roll 28, and so shaped as to bodying the present invention; confine the cloth to the belt until the cloth Fig. 2 is a vertical section, through the parts and belt pass onto the drum la. The roll 28 is of the mechanism of Fig. l which serve to conpulled toward the drum M3 by the tension in dense or compress the cloth in warpwise dimenthe belt ll; thus the cloth and belt l! are nipped sion, this section being taken on a plane parallel between the roll 28 and drum ill at the point of to that of Fig. l; departure of the cloth from the block 30. In

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of the cloth reassing from roll 28 onto drum l8 the curvav device taken on t e ne -3 f gture of the belt is reversed, its surface which Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the principal contacts with the clothweb shortens accordparts of the cloth reversing device contained in ingly, and the cloth, since closely confined to the apparatus of Fig. 1; the belt, shortens to the same extent.

justable in, a bracket 31. This bracket 31 is' pivoted to the machine frame at a point 38 above the roll 28; the effect of supporting the roll 28 in this manner is to cause the belt I! to pull the roll 28 toward the drum l8, thus producing the nipping action between the roll 28 and drum l8, as mentioned above. The several heated ironing blocks 38 are held by gravity against the upper surfaceof the cloth passing over the roll 28. The nipping action of the roll 28 may further be increased by associating with each bracket 31 a spring 39 or its equivalent, arranged to urge the bracket and hence the roll 28 toward the axis of drum iii. For steadying the blocks 30 against vibration, and also to assist in urging them against the cloth, each block may be provided with a rearward extension 40 which is engaged by a spring 4|,

the spring urging the extension 48 and block 38 to turn in a counterclockwise direction about .an abutment 42 and thus holding the block 30 against the cloth. The apparatus described above, which is more fully described in my copending application, Serial No. 516,973, (Patent No. 1,861,424) may be taken as illustrative of apparatus competent to effect a warpwise' condensation of the cloth. Obviously many modifications of construction will be apparent, for example, the various devices disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 445,300, (Patent No. 1,861,422). v

After leaving the blocks 30, the longitudinally condensed .web of cloth is held in close contact with the smooth polished surface of the heated ironing drum 18 by means of the belt l'l. In its passage around this drum, the heat of the drum and the smoothness of its surface serve to impart to one surface of the cloth a smooth ironed finish; the other surface, contacting with the woven belt l1, and away from the drum l8, does not at this time acquire as fine a finish. The machine of my copending application Serial No. 516,973 (Patent No. 1,861,424) caused the web to leave the machine after such an ironing of one side of the cloth;'as an improvement upon that machine; the present invention provides for applying a substantially equal finish to both sides of the cloth and for better fixing the longitudinal pre-shri'nkage of the cloth by the ironing of both sides of the cloth. For this purpose I prefer to utilize for ironing the reverse side of the cloth the upper'drum H! which is commonly employed in ironing machines only to dry the endless belt. To present the reverse side of the cloth web to to the upper drum I9, it is necessary to efiect a relative reversal of the cloth and belt such that the reverse side of the cloth previously in contact with the belt now lies outwardly in position to contact with the drum [9.

The preferred mode of thus reversing the cloth between the two drums involves the interposition therebetween of guide members each adapted to alter the direction of travel of the cloth, and inclined at such angles to each other that in causing the cloth to change its direction of travel an odd plurality of times the cloth will again be directed toward the second. drum. A

preferred construction embodying this principle will now be described. The cloth after being separated from the carrier belt by passing over a rotatable roll 5|, runs onto a horizontal guide member 52. From thence the cloth moves substantially vertically traveling toward the drum l9. A diagonal guide member 53 then serves to direct the cloth in a transverse direction to the left, as shown, following which the cloth passes around a vertical guide member 54, turning back upon itself and traveling in the opposite direction, still transverse to the cloths general path of travel between the two rolls. A second diagonal guide member 55 then returns the cloth approximately to its former general direction of travel toward the upper drum 19. The cloth now has its reverse or unironed side outermost. From this second diagonal member 55 the cloth is taken off by a rotating roll 56 and fed onto the traveling carrier belt I! as the latter approaches the upper drum l9.

Preferably the guide members 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56 occupy parallel planes and are so disposed that the various runs of cloth passing therebetween travel in substantially parallel planes. It is thus assured that the cloth will not be skewed or twisted, with attendant stretching, loss of preshrinkage, or inequality in structure from edge to edge. The guide members 52, 53, 54 and 55 are herein illustrated as polished bars or tubes; in some cases it may be desirable to mount these guide members for rotation, as rollers.

Referring to Fig. 3, the guides 52, 53, 54 and 55 when in the form of bars or tubes, as shown, may be fastened together by any suitable means such as clamps at their points of crossing, to form a framework suitably affixed to the machine. A vertical member 54' opposite to vertical guide 54 preferably serves to complete this framework, although forming no part of the reversing mechanism.

Consideration of the relations obtaining in the reversing mechanism will serve to show that the angular positions of the guides 53, 54 and 55 (or a greater number of guides substituted therefor) may be altered considerably from the preferred arrangement illustrated. Whether three or more guides are employed their inclinations to each other are at such angles that the cloth upon making an odd plurality of changes of direction between approximately parallel planes shall resume its travel in the same approximate direction as its previous path. For example in the illustrated form of reversing mechanism, the cloth makes one change of direction in passing over the inclined guide element 53 into a plane approximately parallel to its plane of approach to this guide element. Then in passing around guide element 54, the cloth turns into another approximately parallel plane, this being the second such change in direction. Finally, in being returned to its initial direction of travel the cloth makes a third such change in direction at the last inclined guide element 55. My preference is for the arrangement of guide members illustrated herein, wherein members 53 and 55 are inclined at to each other and at 45 to a vertical guide member 54. This arrangement renders the.

group of guides extremely compact.

In the form of apparatus of Figures 1, 2 and 3, the cloth, now reversed, passes from the driven roll 56 of the reversing mechanism into contact with belt I! at guide roll 22. Guide 2,005,& 17

roll 22 is preferably yieldingly urged toward drum l9, so that the cloth w and belt I! are nipped between the roll and drum; thus itis assured that the cloth will be fed to the drum iii without accumulation of cloth between this drum and drum is.

During the succeeding passage of the cloth around the upper heated ironing drum its reverse or previously unironed side is held in close contact with the drum by the belt ll, this side of the cloth now acquires a smoothness, gloss and finish like that previously imparted to the front side. A pressure roll I90; is preferably associated with the belt running on the other roll is, and performs the same function as pressure roll Mia described above.

The cloth has been subjected to drying by the first drum is and has there lost much of its initial moisture content. However, a considerable part of the moisture remains temporarily in the cloth and carrier belt ill as steam and vapor; by feeding the cloth quickly to the second drum, sufficient of this steam and vapor remains for successful ironing action by the second drum. The second drum 09 since acting on cloth already ironed onone side, need not be as large as the first drum l8, but may be materially smaller as shown in Fig. 1. After passing around drum l9, the cloth is separated from the carrier belt by a driven roll 59 from whence it passes to any suitable distributing mechanism such as indicated at the left of Fig. 1. Roll 59 may be driven by a pulley 60 and belt 69 from the drum 6 9. Roll 55, as well as the cloth distributing mechanism at the left of Fig. l are likewise driven through another belt 63 from pulley 50.

A modification of the cloth finishing apparatus of Fig. 1 is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 wherein corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters as in previous figures. The apparatus of Figs. 5 and 6 includes two cloth finishing pre shrinking units such as are described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 516,973, (Patent No. 1,861,424) and which are like the apparatus of Fig. l of this application except for the omission of provision for ironing the cloth on the upper drums 99. Instead, in the apparatus of Figs. 5 and 6, the cloth after being subjected to a preshrinkage operation and to ironing on one of its sides in the first finishing unit, is conveyed to the reversing device (indicated diagrammatically at R) and from thence to a second similar finishing unit wherein it is subjected to a second preshrinkage operation and to ironing on its reverse side. The amount of warpwise condensation obtained by this arrangement may thus be double that obtained in a single finishing unit, while by providing the reversing mechanism between the two units, equal treatment of both sides of the cloth is obtained.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cloth finishing machine having therein a pair of ironing drums and a flexible endless belt running thereon in combination with means operable on a cloth Web leaving the first ironing drum to reverse the said web with relation to the belt for subsequent ironing of the reverse side of the web by the second drum.

2. A cloth finishing machine wherein a cloth web to be finished is held in contact with a.

heated drum by an endless belt which thereafter passes around a second heated drum, characterized in that after leaving the first drurn the cloth web is reversed with relation to the belt which then carries the reverse side of the web in contact with the second drum.

3. A cloth finishing machine having therein a pair of heated ironing elements and a fiexible endless belt running thereon, means for causing a cloth Web to be confined by the belt against one of said ironing elements with one surface of the web in contact therewith, means for effecting such reversal of the web and belt as to cause the previously ironed surface of the web to contact with the belt, and means for causing the web to be confined by the belt against the second ironing element.

4. A cloth finishing machine having therein an endless traveling belt, means for placing a cloth web on said belt for travel therewith, means for removing the web from the belt, means for replacing the web on the belt with the side of the cloth which formerly faced the belt now facing away from the belt, and means cooperating with the belt to iron in turn the two successively outwardly facing sides of the web.

5. A. cloth finishing machine having therein two rotating ironing drums and an endless belt running thereon, in combination with guiding means disposed to receive a web ironed on the belt by the first drum for placing the web on the belt with its previously ironed side facing the belt in position to be ironed on its reverse side by the second drum.

6. A cloth finishing machine having therein two rotating ironing drums and an endless belt running thereon, in combination with guiding means disposed to receive a web ironed on the belt by the first drum for placing the Web on. the belt with its previously ironed side facing the belt in position to be ironed on its reverse side by the second drum, said guiding means having two guiding surfaces each disposed to direct the cloth through approximately 90 turns between approximately parallel planes, and means for causing the cloth to reverse its direction of progress between said guiding surfaces.

7. A cloth finishing machine having therein two rotating ironing drums and an endless belt running thereon, in combination with guiding means disposed to receive a web ironed on the belt by the first drum for placing the web on the belt with its previously ironed side facing the belt in position to be ironed on its reverse side by the second drum, said guiding means having two guiding surfaces each disposed to cause the cloth to turn between approximately parallel planes, transversely from its previous direction of travel, and means for causing the cloth to reverse its general directionof motion.

8. A cloth finishing machine having therein two rotary ironing drums turning about substantially parallel axes, and an endless belt running on said drums, means for supplying a cloth web to the belt to be held thereby against the first drum, and guiding means for conducting the web from the first drum to the belt in position to be held thereby against the second drum,

said guiding means having therein means for said two drums, so as to present the reverse side of the cloth to the second drum.

9. Cloth shrinking process in which a web of cloth is pressed against a heated relatively hard surface by a softer surface while the softer surface is contracting, is forced by said pressure to partake of the contraction of the softer surface, and is discharged from between said surfaces with a shorter length than upon entering therebetween, characterized in that the face of the cloth which initially contacted with the said softer surface is thereupon pressed against a heated relatively harder surface by a softer surface acting on the other face of the cloth, to equalize the effects of the process on the opposite faces of the cloth.

l0. Cloth shrinking process in which a web of cloth is pressed against a heated metallic surface by a fabric surface while the fabric surface is contracting, is forced by said pressure to partake of the contraction of the fabric surface, and is discharged from between said surfaces with a shorter length than upon entering therebetween, characterized in that the face of the cloth.'which initially contacted with the fabric surface is thereupon pressed against a heated metallic surface by a fabric surface acting on the other face of the cloth, to equalize the effects of the process on the opposite faces of the cloth.

l1. Cloth shrinking mechanism comprising means for causing an endwise compression of the cloth, said means including a belt traveling in a path of varying curvature and of such thickness that the change in curvature produces a substantial endwise contraction of a surface of the belt, and means contacting with the cloth to press it against the said belt surface while said surface is contracting, said cloth-contacting means presenting a smooth surface against which the cloth is adapted to slip during endwise compression by said belt, the relation between said belt and cloth-contacting means permitting the cloth to be discharged from between these elements with a shorter length than upon entering therebetween, in combination with means operating on the discharged and shortened cloth, to press the previously belt-contacted face of the cloth against a smooth surface, thereby to equalize the effects of the process on the two faces of the cloth.

SANFORD L. CLUETT. 

